The Ruff Report: Dogs, Safety and Behavior

Saturday

Aug 25, 2012 at 12:01 AMNov 5, 2012 at 6:02 PM

Dogs always mouth off before they bite

More than half the dog bites that occur in the United States each year involve children who are household members, but many of these incidents are avoidable if pet parents simply learn the way dogs communicate, an animal behavioral expert says.

Pet parents need to understand the subtle ways that dogs communicate their frustrations, dislikes and fears and take remedial action before the behavior escalates into biting, according to Niki Tudge, founder of The DogSmith, a national pet care and training service based in Bonifay, Florida.

A book about a rescue dogthat will touch your heart THE HUNT OF HER LIFE, a full-color book by newspaper journalist and MySetterSam.com publisher Joseph A. Reppucci, is must reading for animal lovers of all ages. It has 60 color photos of dogs to illustrate the compelling story of Samantha, an unwanted rescue dog adopted at age 2 by Mr. Reppucci. Travel with them along a trail of life filled with surprising twists, sudden turns, mystery and even what some call a miracle. And when the journey is finished, you may never look at people and their pets, motherhood - and perhaps even God - in the same way. THE HUNT OF HER LIFE will take you on a captivating journey - a trip like no other - that will touch your heart.For more details and to order, go to theMySetterSam E-store

Story continues here"Dogs cannot write to their congressman or e-mail their family members," Ms. Tudge told MySetterSam. "They communicate in dog language. When pushed they will bite."

Pet parents must learn the signals dogs give to let us know when they are in pain or afraid, Tudge said. "This is one of our key roles as dog owners. We must raise socially savvy dogs who are polite family members, and we must do this by exhibiting benevolent leadership so they can live safely in our world."

Approximately 74 million dogs are owned in the United States and about 4.8 million Americans receive dog bites each year, according to Tudge. Around 800,000 of those bites require medical attention, although many need just a band aid. Most bites occur within a dog’s home territory and victims are normally family members, home service workers and delivery persons.

The median age of dog bite patients is 15 years old and boys age 5 to 9 have the highest incident rate, Tudge said. Seventy-seven of the children involved are bitten in the facial area while most adults are bitten in the lower extremities.

One of the most important actions a parent can take to avoid problems is to begin training a dog from when it is a puppy, Tudge said. "Teach the dog to have a soft mouth. So in the event the dog is ever stressed or pushed and an emotional response results in a bite, the damage is minimal."

According to Tudge, some common reasons for dogs to bite are: Resource guarding. A dog lacks training to relinquish something it values - such as a bone, toy or food bowl - and a child or adult attempts to remove it.Fear. A dog will bite to escape or avoid something.Predation. A dog chases, grabs and bites small quickly moving objects such as children to satisfy its predatory instincts.Pain. A dog is approached or touched in a sensitive area.Mistreatment. A dog is punished or threatened and bites to avoid the punishment. In most cases involving a dog biting a family member, the pet has been given giving signals for months or even years, Tudge said. A dog will try appeasement by keeping distance from the person who is stressing them, and this can escalate into minor signs of aggression such as freezing, snarling or snapping.

Tudge offers these tips to help pet parents can make sure their children and the family dog live in harmony:Enroll a dog in an obedience class when it is brought into the home. This gives a pet parent verbal control and builds a trusting relationship. Involve children in the training. Even small children can quickly gain control of a large dog if they learn proper training methods.Desensitize your dog. Get your pet accustomed to having its collar grabbed, having food taken from its mouth and having people pick up its toys and items it considers valuable.Teach the dog bite inhibition. The mother dog does not have time to fully do this because people take puppies from their "bite school" before they have learned this crucial skill from their mother and their litter puppies.Teach children to respect and treat animals kindly. Do not allow children to grab at the dog or pull it tail and ears.Crate train your dog. Give a pet somewhere quiet to go when it wants to be alone and make sure children respect that crate as the dog's private space.Give your dog adequate exercise and mental stimulation. Make sure they are a part of the family. Do not tether dogs for too long. A dog that is tethered, insufficiently exercised or isolated is more likely to be involved in a bite incident.More reports about dogs, behavior and safety:Hey dummy, your dog's smarter than you thinkDogs feel no guilt about misbehavingA fun place for dogs where fighting often eruptsThe secret to geeting your dog to behave

This injury risk to dogs just keeps boomingTips to help your pet cope during fireworks seasonBack-to-school stress can affect your pet, too

Reports about dogs, food and safetyToxic levels of chemical found in dog foodsChocolate, candies mean danger for dogs

Reports about dogs and safety:Living room item leading cause of pet injuriesIn emergency, your pet's survival depends on youNo ID means death for 800,000 pets a yearProtect your pet from theft and torturePets capable of swallowing strange objectsKeep your pet safe during floods, storms Protect your pet from hazards in your home More reports about dogs and safetyTudge advises pet parents to contact a professional trainer at the first sign of aggression from a dog. "Do not wait until you are dealing with an actual bite," she said. "A small financial investment in training a dog can ensure a healthy and happy union between dog and human."

More than half the dog bites that occur in the United States each year involve children who are household members, but many of these incidents are avoidable if pet parents simply learn the way dogs communicate, an animal behavioral expert says.

Pet parents need to understand the subtle ways that dogs communicate their frustrations, dislikes and fears and take remedial action before the behavior escalates into biting, according to Niki Tudge, founder of The DogSmith, a national pet care and training service based in Bonifay, Florida.

A book about a rescue dogthat will touch your heart THE HUNT OF HER LIFE, a full-color book by newspaper journalist and MySetterSam.com publisher Joseph A. Reppucci, is must reading for animal lovers of all ages. It has 60 color photos of dogs to illustrate the compelling story of Samantha, an unwanted rescue dog adopted at age 2 by Mr. Reppucci. Travel with them along a trail of life filled with surprising twists, sudden turns, mystery and even what some call a miracle. And when the journey is finished, you may never look at people and their pets, motherhood - and perhaps even God - in the same way. THE HUNT OF HER LIFE will take you on a captivating journey - a trip like no other - that will touch your heart.For more details and to order, go to theMySetterSam E-store

Story continues here"Dogs cannot write to their congressman or e-mail their family members," Ms. Tudge told MySetterSam. "They communicate in dog language. When pushed they will bite."

Pet parents must learn the signals dogs give to let us know when they are in pain or afraid, Tudge said. "This is one of our key roles as dog owners. We must raise socially savvy dogs who are polite family members, and we must do this by exhibiting benevolent leadership so they can live safely in our world."

Approximately 74 million dogs are owned in the United States and about 4.8 million Americans receive dog bites each year, according to Tudge. Around 800,000 of those bites require medical attention, although many need just a band aid. Most bites occur within a dog’s home territory and victims are normally family members, home service workers and delivery persons.

The median age of dog bite patients is 15 years old and boys age 5 to 9 have the highest incident rate, Tudge said. Seventy-seven of the children involved are bitten in the facial area while most adults are bitten in the lower extremities.

One of the most important actions a parent can take to avoid problems is to begin training a dog from when it is a puppy, Tudge said. "Teach the dog to have a soft mouth. So in the event the dog is ever stressed or pushed and an emotional response results in a bite, the damage is minimal."

According to Tudge, some common reasons for dogs to bite are: Resource guarding. A dog lacks training to relinquish something it values - such as a bone, toy or food bowl - and a child or adult attempts to remove it.Fear. A dog will bite to escape or avoid something.Predation. A dog chases, grabs and bites small quickly moving objects such as children to satisfy its predatory instincts.Pain. A dog is approached or touched in a sensitive area.Mistreatment. A dog is punished or threatened and bites to avoid the punishment. In most cases involving a dog biting a family member, the pet has been given giving signals for months or even years, Tudge said. A dog will try appeasement by keeping distance from the person who is stressing them, and this can escalate into minor signs of aggression such as freezing, snarling or snapping.

Tudge offers these tips to help pet parents can make sure their children and the family dog live in harmony:Enroll a dog in an obedience class when it is brought into the home. This gives a pet parent verbal control and builds a trusting relationship. Involve children in the training. Even small children can quickly gain control of a large dog if they learn proper training methods.Desensitize your dog. Get your pet accustomed to having its collar grabbed, having food taken from its mouth and having people pick up its toys and items it considers valuable.Teach the dog bite inhibition. The mother dog does not have time to fully do this because people take puppies from their "bite school" before they have learned this crucial skill from their mother and their litter puppies.Teach children to respect and treat animals kindly. Do not allow children to grab at the dog or pull it tail and ears.Crate train your dog. Give a pet somewhere quiet to go when it wants to be alone and make sure children respect that crate as the dog's private space.Give your dog adequate exercise and mental stimulation. Make sure they are a part of the family. Do not tether dogs for too long. A dog that is tethered, insufficiently exercised or isolated is more likely to be involved in a bite incident.More reports about dogs, behavior and safety:Hey dummy, your dog's smarter than you thinkDogs feel no guilt about misbehavingA fun place for dogs where fighting often eruptsThe secret to geeting your dog to behave

This injury risk to dogs just keeps boomingTips to help your pet cope during fireworks seasonBack-to-school stress can affect your pet, too

Reports about dogs, food and safetyToxic levels of chemical found in dog foodsChocolate, candies mean danger for dogs

Reports about dogs and safety:Living room item leading cause of pet injuriesIn emergency, your pet's survival depends on youNo ID means death for 800,000 pets a yearProtect your pet from theft and torturePets capable of swallowing strange objectsKeep your pet safe during floods, storms Protect your pet from hazards in your home More reports about dogs and safetyTudge advises pet parents to contact a professional trainer at the first sign of aggression from a dog. "Do not wait until you are dealing with an actual bite," she said. "A small financial investment in training a dog can ensure a healthy and happy union between dog and human."